Shreveport Society for Nature Study

BIRD STUDY GROUP

NEWSLETTER

Volume 27, Number 3 November 1, 2012

Next Meeting –December 11, 2012

BSG Christmas Party

DECEMBER MEETING When: Tuesday, December 11, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Where: LSUS, Science Lecture Auditorium Join us for food and fun at the annual BSG Christmas party. Bring your favorite side dish or desert to share. The BSG will provide the meat dishes, rolls, and drinks. This year we will not be having an auction instead bring a bird related gift to exchange (up to $20) in our pirate Santa game. Draw a number and pick a gift. Love your new gift---don’t get too attached just yet, someone can trade your gift for theirs. A gift can be pirated up to 3 times. The party will be held in the LSUS Science Building, second floor, room 201. Come at 6 to visit. Dinner will be served promptly at 6:30, with the Pirate Santa gift exchange starting after dinner. The program is free and open to the public. For more information or directions to the party, call us at 318-797-5338.

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS Shreveport CBC December 15, 2012 Claiborne CBC December 20, 2012 Natchitoches CBC December 22, 2012 BCBCBC January 5, 2012 For information about participating in one of these counts call the BSG at 797-5338.

BSG Christmas Party Tuesday, December 11th

Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.

Pirate Santa Gift Exchange

LSUS Science Building room 201

Owl Prowl Report 2 Corney Lake Report 3 Holla Bend NWR Profile 4 Debate on Playback 5 A NW LA Gem on Caddo Lake CBC 7 Announcements 10 BSG Board 11

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Owl Prowl Report By Trip Leader Larry Raymond Nine members of the Bird Study Group met in the parking lot of the LSUS Museum of Life Sciences to carpool to the Red River NWR Yates Tract. The group included Larry Raymond (trip leader), Rosemary Seidler, Martha Lenard, Terry Davis and his nephew Sean Tynan, Neilson and Ann Jacobs, Mark Wilson, and Mark Priddy. Nancy Menasco asked us to stop at the Farmhouse on the Yates Tract so she and Jerry Bertrand could join the group. As we approached the Yates Tract, I called Nancy to ask her to meet us at the equipment barn hoping to get Barn Owl. Nancy indicated that she was hearing Great Horned Owl and suggested we park at the farmhouse and get the Great Horned before going to the barn. Soon after we arrived, the calls of the Great Horned Owl could be heard. As we played a Screech-Owl tape to try to bring the owl closer, it flew from a tree across the road toward the equipment barn. The group then walked along Parish Road 401 toward the barn. The plan was to be outside the barn at dusk to watch the Barn Owl emerge for the night. While waiting, Hubert Hervey joined the group. Hubert indicated that he, too, had heard a Great Horned Owl on the way to the Yates Tract. At this point, Terry and Sean were selected to walk toward the barn in an effort to flush the Barn Owl, if one was present. Before they could enter the barn, a Barn Owl flushed from the back and flew across the road in full view of the group. It disappeared into the woods and was not seen or heard from again. In an effort to bring the Barn Owl back into view, we played a Screech-owl tape. Almost immediately, Nancy indicated she was hearing an Eastern Screech-Owl respond. The group gathered around Nancy’s location and soon everyone could hear one or two Screech-Owls responding to the tape. Terry used my large spotlight to find the owl in dense brush across the road from the equipment barn. The cooperative owl stayed put and everyone in the group was eventually able to get good looks at it. In fact, two Screech-Owl were in the dense cover – I saw one on the ground and another perched about 2 to 3-feet high on a branch. Smaller birds could also be heard calling from the dense thicket. Several Brown

Thrasher, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and others made their presence known. A small group of Northern Shoveler, identified by Hubert, flew over while we worked to get the Screech-Owls. Terry then played Northern Saw-whet Owl and Barred Owl calls in an attempt to score a new species. The only other owl heard was Great Horned Owl. The group then headed back to the vehicles to drive to some of the fields in the refuge to look for Short-eared Owl. Terry and Sean led the way, followed by Larry with Hubert riding shotgun and five people riding in the back of the truck. Jerry and Nancy stayed in back in a third vehicle. Despite working the fields hard, no Short-eared Owl were seen or heard. However, Terry did get a Great Horned Owl in his lights on the ground in front of his truck. The owl was eating something that we were unable to identify, but appeared to be mammalian as opposed to avian. We could hear lots of ducks in the refuge, including Gadwall, widgeon, and probably others. Terry indicated he heard Wilson’s Snipe, and both Hubert and Terry heard an American Woodcock. A group of coyotes serenaded us as we headed back to the farmhouse. The night was absolutely beautiful and the sky was dotted with uncountable numbers of stars. In fact, I heard Rosemary proclaim that she saw a shooting star. But, I can’t remember if that was before or after she observed how good I was at finding the potholes in the ground with my truck. It had turned a little chilly, and as the group unloaded from the back of my truck I asked if everyone was doing okay. Ann Jacobs assured me that she had stopped feeling anything in her extremities about 30 minutes earlier, so, no worries. We then returned to our respective vehicles and headed along Parish Road 401 in an attempt to add a Barred Owl. We made several stops along the road, but the only owls heard were Eastern Screech-Owl or Great Horned Owl. Most of the group decided to call it quits and head home around 8 p.m. However, Hubert offered to take whoever wanted to follow him to the Pintail Tract to try for Barred Owl. Terry and Sean, Mark Priddy, Nancy Menasco, and Jerry Bertrand elected to go with Hubert. At Pintail, the group added a Barred Owl,

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another Eastern Screech-Owl, and heard more coyotes. The final conservative tally was five Eastern Screech-Owl, three Great Horned Owl, one Barn Owl, and one Barred Owl thanks to Hubert’s persistence. Thanks to all who participated. I hope you enjoyed the field trip and I trust everyone who road in the back of my truck has thawed out by now. Report on BSG Field Trip to Corney Lake, Claiborne Parish By Trip Leader John Dillon On November 3, seven of us birded Corney Lake, which lies in the Caney District of Kisatchie National Forest in Claiborne Parish, about 7 or 8 miles north of Summerfield. We had excellent weather, although temperatures crept up a little higher than expected for a November morning. And even though we tried desperately for number 50, we ended up with 49 species for the morning. We started birding at the south boat launch and managed 3 Bald Eagles before we’d even moved to the next location. One subadult was perched far across the lake, and, as we were walking around by the restrooms, 2 adults came zooming around the 100 foot tall Loblolly Pines of the picnic area and gave a dramatic show of their size from less than 100 yards away. We also pished quite a bit at the edge of the woods near the boat launch and between 15 and 20 species responded, including this winter’s most irruptive species so far, Red-breasted Nuthatch. In fact we had all 3 Louisiana species of nuthatch while standing in one spot; you just gotta love that. For many birders there, it was the first opportunity of the season to hear White-throated Sparrows singing, and we all got a great deal of pleasure from them. Walking across the road from the boat launch, we had 2 American Goldfinch, a FOS bird for many there. Still more White-throated Sparrows chipped and serenaded us, and the Brown Thrashers fussed quite a bit. I barely heard an Eastern Screech-Owl faintly whinnying back at me, but I wasn’t sure if anyone else caught it. From there, we drove a few hundred yards down to the dam. If you’ve never been to Corney Lake, the dam is easily accessible from the south side of

Corney Lake, Claiborne Parish. Photo by John Dillon the lake, and it’s a fantastic place to find birds. Our little walk there was no exception, producing 8 species of duck, including Canvasback and Redhead, species that aren’t so easy to get in the upland parishes. And although they certainly aren’t as pretty as Canvasback and Redhead, we had a large group of Double-crested Cormorants on the water, numbering around 625. We also got Bald Eagle number 4 while on the dam, another subadult. Most unexpected, though, were 3 Greater Yellowlegs that flew high over us headed toward the big woods behind the dam and giving their very loud “TU TU TU” calls. After the dam, we went to an area behind the lake I call the “honey hole,” though the moniker really only applies during migration and the breeding season. Nevertheless, Rosemary Seidler had requested Red-headed Woodpecker earlier in the morning, and I had failed miserably in finding them in all their usual spots. Finally, after much pishing and screech-owling, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers showed up and gave us fantastic looks at their striking plumage in the sun. By that time, we were pretty hungry, so we loaded up and drove down Highway 9 to Moon’s Grocery, a defunct gas station turned liquor store and rib joint. Moon’s has as much character as it does liquor, and there’s quite a bit of overlap between the two. While you eat greasy pork ribs and meaty baked beans washed down with sweet tea, you can’t help admiring the tableau of Old Crow, Moon Pies, various flavors of Nehi, and an assortment of jarred, pickled pig parts. We left before any of us got into any serious trouble. But a few of the more intrepid

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BSG members requested a spring migration trip to Corney. So if you get equal thrills from birding and risky adventures, join us in April or May, and we’ll see what happens.

BSGers Birding Corney Lake, Claiborne Parish. Photo by John Dillon Trip list: Corney Lake; 7 observers; 3 hrs, 5 mins; 2.5 miles; 49 species. Wood Duck 3 Gadwall 12 Northern Shoveler 8 Northern Pintail 6 Canvasback 5 Redhead 3 Lesser Scaup 27 Ruddy Duck 16 Pied-billed Grebe 7 Double-crested Cormorant 625 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 2 Turkey Vulture 9 Bald Eagle 4 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Coot 150 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-headed Woodpecker 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Northern Flicker 3

Eastern Phoebe 5 Blue Jay 6 American Crow 6 Carolina Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 7 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Brown-headed Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 3 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 1 Winter Wren 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 8 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10 Eastern Kingbird 1 Hermit Thrush 2 Brown Thrasher 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler 9 Pine Warbler 18 Eastern Towhee 4 Song Sparrow 16 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 42 Dark-eyed Junco 8 Northern Cardinal 10 American Goldfinch 2 A Trip to Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge By Emily Holcomb When I asked my son what he’d like to take on our birding trip, he immediately replied, “Fishies!” and brought me two stuffed fish. To say that my family’s birding style is quirky may be something of an understatement. Not only do we require a location with large numbers of birds, but we must have stroller-accessible pathways, playgrounds at regular intervals, and restaurants that will entertain small children (preferably the kind with choo-choo trains running along the walls). Such locations might be rare, but we were fortunate enough to find everything we needed in the small city of Russellville, Arkansas. Russellville is approximately six hours from the Shreveport-Bossier area. Since we took our trip during the Veteran’s Day weekend, our drive was rich with the colors of fall. Many parks surrounded the city, but our most productive spot was the nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge.

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As we neared the park on a cold but sunny morning, hearing the songs of Eastern Meadowlarks rising sweetly from cultivated fields, I sensed that the day would be a special one. Not far into the park, we observed an interesting bit of bird behavior: two Northern Flickers engaged in an obvious conversation. They faced each other silently on a low-hanging branch, puffing out their chests and making jerky, exaggerated movements towards one another. We found ourselves laughing out loud. Bow hunting was in season on the refuge, but we found a trail in an area where hunting was not permitted. As soon as I stepped out of my vehicle, I was surrounded by an ecstatic chorus of birds. I noticed American Robins, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Northern Flickers in a frenzy of activity. Song and White-throated Sparrows hopped in the undergrowth, and a single Fox Sparrow gave me a long, considering look before flitting away. Further down the trail, the woods echoed with the taps of Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. I did observe one Red-headed with a juvenile’s brown head. An observation deck, ADA-accessible, stood along the main road. While our two boys happily chased one another up and down the ramps, my husband and I observed movements along a stretch of river before us. A scope was mounted on the deck for visitors to use. Gadwall and Mallards dabbled in the water; further away were the silhouettes and attendant honks of what must have been hundreds of Canada Geese. About ten White Pelicans passed us. I grew bolder and attempted to wade through some winter-dry grass that was, in patches, taller than I was. I had to hold my camera above my head, waving it about precariously, to make any kind of progress. White-crowned Sparrows flitted from the grass to a fallen tree and back again. My husband signaled me, and when I looked upward, I saw a Bald Eagle circling above us. Later, some friendly hunters told us that Eagles would become even more common on the refuge as the weather turned colder. My heart soared when I found a Hermit Thrush at the edge of some dense growth; this particular species was one that first started me on my conversion to the birding world. And then I found the most interesting bird of the day: a Northern

Harrier sweeping low and methodically over the fields, examining each part of the landscape with grave intensity. Our day was, admittedly, not notable for unusual species. It was, instead, made special by the great number of birds and the ease with which we could observe them. Even as we were leaving, Eastern Bluebirds bubbled to one another in the trees, and a Pileated Woodpecker swept past us: we were adding new species to our list until the moment we departed. Holla Bend in the fall--indeed, the entire Russellville area--is an excellent site for beginners, filled with so many opportunities to find birds that even a near-sighted and squinty birder like myself, toting along two talky children and all the gear they require, will certainly be satisfied.

Immature White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Emily Holcomb The Debate on Playback - Part 1 of 2 By John Dillon Go back just a few years ago, and there wasn’t much of a debate about the use of playback at all. The percentage of birders who you could see lugging a boom box, extra D-cell batteries, and a collection of cassettes or the Stokes CD’s was fairly small. But with the invention of the iPod and iPhone, that percentage has dramatically shot up. And as the percentage of birders who use playback increases, so does, it seems, the percentage of misconceptions about playback itself. This article and its counterpart to be published in next month’s newsletter are intended to separate those

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misconceptions from the truth about playback and its effects. Before I go any further, I confess now that I am pro-playback/pro-owl call/pro-pishing. And my support for it all mainly derives from the numbers and variety of birds that those techniques yield. I bird several hundred hours a year, and all three techniques get results. But I don’t think the core of the debate is over whether these tactics get results. The core of the debate is over whether or not it’s harmful to the birds, and that will be covered in this article. The additional concerns about playback, such as its use in highly birded areas or during migration, will be covered in the second, final article. Now, let’s first be clear about what I mean when I say I’m pro-playback. Clarity at this point is absolutely necessary so that everyone who reads this has the same, normative understanding about what I mean by the word “playback.” When some birders hear the word “playback,” they may picture someone who takes a boom box and an owl tape, presses the play button, sets the boom box down by the edge of the woods, and lets it blast loudly for 15 or 20 minutes. That is not what I mean by “playback.” Nor do I mean playing the same warbler or sparrow track on Stokes 60 times in a row. Some birders do use playback that way, but those examples of playback are, I think, extreme and represent the far end of the spectrum. More important, playback does not have to be so extreme to be effective. Personally, I use playback as a way to detect and flush out species that I expect to find but either haven’t found so far during a survey or haven’t found reasonably expected numbers of them during a survey. Furthermore, I find through my birding that skilled use of playback involves using it in a way that should be as similar to actual bird behavior as possible. Perhaps a realistic example or two of my personal use of playback will help clarify exactly what I mean. Let’s say I’m birding some pretty good hardwood forest in April, and I haven’t yet seen or heard a Black-throated Green Warbler, but I expect to find one or two because I almost always do that time of year in that location. I’ll play that species’ song track from Stokes on my iPod about 3 or 4 times and about as loud as an actual Black-throated Green Warbler would sing it. Then, I wait for a couple minutes or play the songs of 4 or 5

other species. If I haven’t heard zee zee zee zee zee zee ZEEE or zeeeeee zee zee ZEE within 5 or 10 minutes of playing the song, I’ll play it another 3 or 4 times and wait again. If I still haven’t heard or seen one, I move on to another spot. This is about as unobtrusive as playback gets, and it’s fairly standard procedure for skilled birders who use playback. Another example. It’s May, and I see an Empidomax flycatcher sallying from some low bushes. I pull up the Alder Flycatcher Stokes track on my iPod and play the song (not the full track) 2 or 3 times and wait for a response. If the bird doesn’t answer, I play it another 2 or 3 times. Or then I try a few other species of likely empids. If the bird does respond (and this also goes for that Black-throated Green Warbler), I have no more need to use playback for that bird. It’s done its job, I add the bird to my list, and move on. And the bird moves on with its own business, too. Realistically, that’s a skilled use of responsible playback. And it’s not so much that I’m being responsible as it is that I’m just not being obnoxious. I want bird songs blasted into the quiet woods about as much as I want a motorcycle engine blasted into the quiet woods. And honestly, if I’m playing a bird’s song 20 or 30 times in a row with no response, I must not be a very good birder and must have no idea of the proper habitat for that species. Otherwise, I should have gotten a response in just 2 or 3 plays. So, I hope these examples at least set a norm in the minds of my readers about what I mean when I say “playback.” Comparatively, using playback is a lot like bass fishing. Anyone who bass fishes knows that a spinnerbait is an ideal lure when you want to cover a lot of ground efficiently. The bait’s relatively high speed of retrieve through the water and its constant vibration clearly announce to the bass that it’s nearby. So, if a fisherman casts a spinnerbait through the same area 4 or 5 times with no strike, he knows to move on because he knows there’s basically no chance of getting a fish to strike. If you cast a spinnerbait through the same area 20 times, you don’t know the first thing about bass fishing. Furthermore, as soon as I’ve caught a fish, the spinnerbait has done it’s job, just as your iPod has done its job when that Alder Flycatcher answers you or when that Black-throated Green Warbler comes flying up to the edge of the trees. Playback,

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like a spinnerbait, is an efficient way to cover lots of ground, so if you continue to play and play and play 20 or 30 times, you’re almost certainly wasting your time. In both situations, whether playback or spinnerbait, it’s skilled use that determines if you find your bird. Or fish. Now the central question. Is it harmful to birds? Does it stress them out? We’ve all heard the logic that birds are stressed during migration and that you should avoid playback then. Some say the same about the breeding period. I’ve heard other birders say playback is categorically bad and is just simply “bad for the birds.” First, I’ll have to say that the use of playback as described above certainly doesn’t seem to merit the “categorically evil” label that some birders assign to playback. Honestly, most good birders’ use of playback is hardly any different than what the birds are doing themselves! So, how is it even possible that one more Hooded Warbler singing in the forest (through playback) breaks down the intricacies of the entire ecosystem when there are already 6 of them singing around you? The reality is that birds deal with stress pretty well. It’s kind of part of being a bird. Biologists catch them in nets, stuff them into little bags, weigh them, pluck a few tail feathers, blow on their bellies checking for fat content, and finally let them go after what I’m sure the bird considers to be a pretty overwhelming intrusion on its routine. But I never seem to hear birders say things like, “Biologists are stressful to birds,” or “Biologists are never a good idea for birds.” Rather, the opposite is true; birders will gladly stand around for hours hoping to see a Painted Bunting or Hooded Warbler in hand, probably never considering the stress of the birds they’re so happy to observe. Of course, I’m no biologist. So, I figured I’d contact one about this topic. You all know of Dr. Van Remsen at the LSU Museum of Life Sciences. He’s kind of a big deal in ornithology. So, what did he have to say about it? He said, “You can quote me as saying that I don’t think that JUDICIOUS [emphasis, Dr. Remsen] tape playback or owl tapes would make the top 1 million causes of death of birds, and that the concern is classic Rearrange-Deck-Chairs-on-Titanic Syndrome. Birds’ lives are full of stress on a daily basis -- the % of those stressors that are caused by tape playback is immeasurably minute.” The key there obviously is

“judicious,” which is, I think, a pretty apt description of the examples of playback I gave above in the warbler and empid scenarios. “Judicious” playback, then, is a skilled use of playback; it’s not throwing all the darts at the dartboard hoping for a bull’s eye. Dr. Remsen also noted, “The payoff in terms of increased detection rates during surveys is huge.” And if you’ve ever played Eastern Towhee or White-crowned Sparrow songs in the proper habitat, you know exactly what he means here. Without playback, you may observe 3 birds; with it, you may observe 5 to 10 times that number, often more. And responsible birders should be concerned with those higher numbers for the purposes of conservation and record keeping. So, I argue that if playback increases detection rates, it also aids in conservation rather than the idea that it causes catastrophic damage. So, what about the use of playback to hold a bird’s attention while you snap photos? Or using playback during migration or breeding? Or using playback at a highly birded location? Or if you shouldn’t use it for certain species? And we haven’t even touched the surface of using screech-owl calls. I’ll address those issues next month. But for now, if you go birding in the meantime and have an iPod, remember to be judicious in your use of it. Not because of the fear of stressing the bird, but because you should become skilled at its use, not completely dependent on it. Caddo Lake Warm-Up CBC Turns Up A NW Louisiana Gem By Carolyn Phillips Okay, so this was supposed to be a “warm-up” Christmas Bird Count led by Jim Ingold (Saturday, December 1, 2012). Shirley Huss knew the area and had assembled her team of Lily Poole, Martha Lennard, and myself. A beautiful day, lots of chatter, bits of carol singing, lots of snacks, and driven by a mad woman. We get to a fence that we know not to pass and are looking through the bars like orphans, trying to count what was on a portion of Caddo Lake. Of course, the Mooringsport Chief of Police (or maybe it was the Mayor) drove up and gave us that “look.” We smiled and quickly explained what we were doing. He actually opened

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that gate and told us we could walk to the water’s edge! We all piled out of the car and made our way down the hill. And, sure as sin, at the bottom someone asked if the car had been locked. Of course the car wasn’t locked… are you kidding?… in too much a hurry to get down that hill to the water. I trudged back up the hill and decided at the top that no way I was going back down and then UP again. I decided to get what was nearby and let the other ladies get the water birds. A quick scan of the sky didn’t show the first Bald Eagle. However, there was this bright yellow breast in the top of a leafless tree… my first thought - Great Crested Flycatcher (dear Lord, will I EVER learn). By this time, the other three ladies have made it back up the hill and had gotten looks at the

bird. Out come the books: National Geographic, Sibley’s, two iPods, Crossley’s, maybe a Peterson’s. After approximately an hour, we decide we might have a Cassin’s Flycatcher but know for sure that we need some help with an ID. Turns out it was a Tropical Kingbird… a first ever for NW Louisiana! Many thanks to Jim Ingold, Rosemary Seidler, Jean & Jeff Trahan, Vicki LeFevers, Terry Davis, and Ronnie Maum for photos and recorded bird calls. Lessons learned this trip: (1) a blind squirrel really does pick up a nut sometime (2) it’s nice to have knowledgeable people at your fingertips (3) don’t always look for horses, there just might be a zebra in there some place!

Tropical Kingbird, Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, LA. 12/1/12. Photo by Jeff Trahan. Location: The habitat is a small point jutting northeast of downtown Mooringsport into Caddo Lake. The area is developed with houses lining Ferry Street on the North side and the single residence on Croom. It is open South of there toward Miller and somewhat beyond. There are relatively few large trees except right along Croom. Most of the area is open and grassy with much of the lake visible from the road. UPDATE: As of 3:00 p.m. on 12/3/2012 the bird was still at the same location (Pat and Hubert Hurvey).

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Tropical Kingbird, Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, LA. 12/1/12. Photo by Jeff Trahan.

Tropical Kingbird, Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, LA. 12/1/12. Photo by Jeff Trahan.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTICE Regarding BSG Membership Dues All memberships are for a calendar year beginning January 1. Memberships for 2013 are due now.

Benefits of Membership in the Bird Study Group

1. You are a part of one of the most active birding groups in Louisiana.

2. Memberships support conservation efforts that affect birds in Louisiana.

3. Memberships support student research and study of bird biology.

4. Memberships provide for a small honorarium for out-of-town speakers.

5. Memberships support the widely acclaimed web site of the BSG (www.birdstudygroup.org).

6. Memberships support the refreshments for the BSG meetings.

7. Members participate in the Christmas Bird Counts, the North American Migration Count, the North American Hawk Watch, the Backyard Bird Count, and the Big Sit.

8. Memberships support the bird library at the Museum of Life Sciences

9. Members can easily participate in the online Bird Alert email List Server (to sign up email: birdalert@birdstudygroup.org).

10. The BSG Newsletters are online and access is not restricted.

You get all of the above benefits for the modest annual membership cost of: $15 for one membership, $20 for a family membership, and $35 for a sustaining membership. Any Suggestions for the BSG? Your Board of Directors is trying very hard to improve the Bird Study Group and make it more attractive to new birders. Give us your suggestions about how to grow the BSG.

OTHER GREAT NW LA BIRDS

Dusky-capped Flycatcher, 11/23/12 Ash-throated Flycatcher, 11/21/12 Pacific Loon, 11/21/12 All: Cross Lake/ Shreveport/ Caddo. Not viewable from shore. Observers: Charlie Lyon, Terry Davis, and Hubert Hervey. BSG Membership

Dues are due

January 1st

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BSG Board of Directors & Committee Chairpersons BSG BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS President – Larry Raymond (3)…………............. 929-3117 (H), 929-2806 (W) Vice-president – Mac Hardy (2)………………..…..687-6738 (H), 797-5338(W) Secretary – Silviera Hunt (3)...……………...……...220-0098 (H), 676-7156(W) Treasurer – Jim Ingold(3)...……………...………742-5067 (H), 797-5236 (W)

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Amanda Lewis (3) ……………………………...……861-5294 (H), 797-5215 (W) Bill Hall (1)………………………………………………..……………797-1727 (H) Carolyn Phillips (3)……………………………….…...………………..868-2605(H) Cran Lucas (2)………………………….…………… 797-1524 (H), 797-5086(W) Dennis Forshee (2)………………………………………………..……797-2473(W) Hubert Hervey (1)……….……………………………………………...925-9249(H) Jerry Bertrand (2)..…………………………………………………868-3255 (H/W) John Dillon (1)………………………………………………………….243-2284 (H) Nancy Menasco (1)…………………………………………………868-3255 (H/W) Roy Henderson(2)………………………………………………………861-7449(H) Terry Davis (1)………………………………………..……………..934-2133(H/W)

Numbers in parentheses are years remaining of a 3-year term. COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Beginning Birders – Dennis Forshee……………………….……….797-2473 (W) Bird Alert Service – Rosemary Seidler…………………………….. 424-2972 (H) Bird Hot Spot – Larry Raymond..………………….929-3117 (H) 929-2806 (W) Bird Records – Mac Hardy………………………....687-6738 (H) 797-5338 (W)

Field Trip Coordinator –open Fund Raising – Jerry Bertrand……………………………………868-3255 (H/W) Hospitality – Amanda Lewis …………………….. 861-5294 (H) 797-5215 (W) Library – Silviera Hunt………………………….…..220-0098 (H), 676-5457 (W) Membership Secretary – Mac Hardy……………...687-6738 (H), 797-5338 (W) Newsletter Editor – Amanda Lewis ……………. 861-5294 (H) 797-5215 (W) Programs – Larry Raymond..……………………….929-3117 (H) 929-2806 (W) Website – Jerry Bertrand………………………………………….868-3255 (H/W)

COPYRIGHT 2012, SHREVEPORT SOCIETY FOR NATURE STUDY. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, published, or broadcast without the prior written

permission of the Bird Study Group, Shreveport Society for Nature Study, Inc. Direct inquires to the Editor, Amanda Lewis, at (318) 797-5215.

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Join/Renew the BSG! The Bird Study Group of Shreveport invites you to become a member.

Renewals, please update information below. Name(s)__________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City _________________________________________ State ______ Zip _________________________ Email _________________________________ Phone (Home) _________________ Work ____________ Yes, please add me to the email Bird Alert Leave me out of the BSG member directory Membership Levels: Regular ($15. 00) Sustaining ($35.00) Family, One Newsletter/ One Address ($20. 00)

Names of Family Members: Donations: Library Refuges Refreshments General Make check payable & mail to: SSNS- Bird Study Group Museum of Life Sciences, One University Place,

Shreveport, LA 71115-2399

BIRD STUDY GROUP PHONE NUMBERS AND MORE Bird Study Group meets the second Tuesday of each month, September through June, 6:00 p.m. To be placed on the list to send &

receive emails, email birdalert@birdstudygroup.org. Contact the BSG by email: lhardy@lsus.edu or phone (318) 797-5338.

Visit us on the web at http://www.birdstudygroup.org